Diana of Earth
by malwayne
Summary: A New Yorker finds herself in a galaxy far, far away. Mandalorian/OC
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

* * *

It was an average October day in Manhattan. The air was crisp and the leaves throughout the city were either turning their orange hue or dying off completely. Diana made her rounds around the hospital that morning. It was a rare slow day for her with only one surgery already finished and a free afternoon.

"Dr. Higel." A familiar voice called to her. Diana stopped in the hallway and turned around.

"Hey, Clyde." She greeted to one of her residents. Clyde, a young good-looking NYU grad with bright blonde hair and blue eyes, caught up to her and smiled at the young doctor.

"Dr. Mars wanted me to ask if you would be attending the GenSpace operation. It starts in thirty." Diana nodded slowly and looked away towards the exit of the floor. The hospital was connected to GenSpace, an open laboratory primarily used for stem-cell research. The working scientists gave no description or details of what operation they were doing today but insisted the attendance of a few of the doctors.

"Sure. Tell him I will meet him." She replied after a moment's hesitation. Clyde affirmed and left her to alone again. Diana sighed and checked her watch – thirty minutes until two. She had nothing else to do for the day and decided that attending the operation would not be too much of a burden. The scientists next door might be doing something exciting. She left the hospital floor and made her way across the street into GenSpace territory. She rarely came to this side of the property but admired the space-like interior of the building as she entered deeper and deeper, following the signs to operation room two.

"Hey, Danny." She whispered to Dr. Mars. Diana silently sat down on the bench next to him. She looked about the small observation room. It was only the two of them and two other doctors she did not recognize. She was surprised there was this small of an audience for what seemed like such an important operation.

"Just on time." He whispered to her and she smiled at the old man. Dr. Daniel Mars was the head neurosurgeon at New York Presbyterian Hospital. He's been a resident for over 20 years and is an esteemed scholar. Diana turned her attention to the four scientists in the lab room in front of them. A thick-shielded glass separated them. The scientists were crowded over a small device on the lab table. She could not make out what it was but saw little bursts of green light coming from it.

"Do you know what they're doing?" Diana asked in a hushed whisper. She watched as one of the scientists picked up a blow torch from a nearby operating table.

"Not really, they're testing out something. They didn't tell me anything." He shrugged. "Don't know why they-" A sudden bright and blinding green blast erupted from the operating table and knocked Diana and Danny unconscious.

She woke to a loud piercing ringing. Diana whined at the awful at the noise and quickly covered her ears. She glanced about the operation room and saw that the glass that was just separating the observation room and the operating room was now completely shattered. The body of Dr. Mars was strewn across the bench behind them. She moved to crouch by his side and was stunned by his appearance. Blood rushed out of his ears and the corners of his eyes. The ear-piercing ringing continued as she removed her hands from her ears to check his pulse. He was dead.

"Fuck!" She shouted to herself. Diana looked for the other two doctors but found their bodies identical to Danny's. Her breathing began to quicken as she felt her chest grow heavy and restricted. She investigated the operation room and slowly stood over to the lifeless bodies of the four scientists. Their bodies were identical to Danny's. Among the clutter, the small metal box sat peacefully on the lab table.

The small box was no more than six inches across each way. It was a plain silver metal with small, thin scratches. In the center was a small green glow that seemed to just appear. Diana resisted the urge to touch it, fearing it would only cause another explosion. As she bent to examine the box closer, the piercing ringing suddenly stopped, and Diana became alert. She left the box and ran towards the doors of the lab and pushed them open. She expected to see other scientists or even police rushing to the explosion, but instead, the door opened to a large crowd of individuals walking on an unfamiliar street. Diana jumped back into the lab in confusion. Why was there a busy sidewalk where the white, spaceship-like hallway is supposed to be? She peered out of the doorway again and took one step out.

"What the fuck." She murmured to herself as she barely had time to take in the appearance of the strange individuals passing by her. A loud and sudden bang from inside the lab made her jump and spin around. On the opposite side of the lab, two metal doors were now busted wide open and four men clad in thick white armor began to walk toward her. Her eyes widened at the foreign intrusion. She had never seen anything like them. What were they? Robot soldiers?

"Stop. You're coming with us." One of them called to her. His voice almost electronic, but Diana could not move. Her brain, too scattered to process what was going on, but when the white soldiers started to march toward her with their guns raised, she found herself instinctively running through the mass of people.

Diana powered through the crowd and could faintly hear the shouts of the white soldiers telling her to stop. She kept running and running and running. The crowds of people became to grow small and she eventually found herself facing the end of a street with just a few people around her. One of those individuals, a man clad head to toe in metal armor, watched Diana run to the end of the block. In the distance, he spotted the white heads of Stormtroopers following her. Diana looked for an exit but found no familiar way to go. The buildings surrounding her were tall with no balconies and just high windows that seemed to rocket into the dark sky above her.

"Follow me." A deep voice said behind her. The man in metal stood waited a moment for her before walking towards the entrance to one of the buildings. Diana stared at the retreating man. Was it even a person? He stopped and looked at her and then back at the approaching Stormtroopers.

"Do you want to get away from those clones?" He asked. Diana sighed and nodded, hoping she could trust this person as she followed him into the building and into a busy market. As the hurried through, she took in her surroundings. Numerous booths were set up, some managed by humans and others by what looked like aliens. She tried to slow her breathing and collect herself at the strange environment. She could not believe it was real. The man stopped in front of an elevator and eventually Diana found herself on the roof of the skyscraper.

"Oh my god." She breathed. Diana stepped out in starstruck silence as she took in the city in front of her. This was not Manhattan. This was not anywhere on Earth. A silver starship sat in the center of the roof. The man began to make his way to the spacecraft and Diana slowly followed him.

"Where are we going?" She asked. She stopped in front of the vehicle and watched him open the hatch and enter.

"Away from the clones." He simply stated. Diana swallowed and thought about her options. As he boarded his ship, she quickly pondered her options. She could either stay and fall into the hands of the men most definitely tracking her or go with the other stranger who seemed like he would bring her to safety. She glanced around the rooftop and at the foreign skyline before following the man into the ship. As he took the pilot seat, she stared at the unusual buttons and switches, none of which she recognized from any aircraft on Earth.

"Sit down." The man ordered her. Staring at the back of his metal head, she obediently sat to his right and buckled herself in. A few seconds later, they took flight.

Diana leaned as far as she could to stare out the window, in awe of the fading metropolis and of the stars surrounding them.

"Where are you from?" The man asked. His gaze not wavering from guiding the ship.

"Uh… New York. But I don't thi-"

"What galaxy?" He cut in. Diana looked at him with confusion. _What galaxy?_

"The milky way…?" She slowly replied, but it sounded more like a question because of how strange the inquiry was.

"From Earth?"

"Yes. Where am I?"

"You were in CoCo Town. On Coruscant. Earth is untouched. How did you get here?"

"Um," Diana was not sure she was to appreciate the man's bluntness. He was very straightforward and… hard. As he patiently waited for her to answer, she retraced the previous events of her last moments on Earth.

"I was watching some kind of operation and all of a sudden there was an explosion. Everyone in the room died except me and somehow I'm here." Her brows raised to emphasis her current location as if the man could see. He turned around and looked at her, but his helmet and narrow eye slits made her feel self-conscious as she did not know exactly where he was looking. She could easily make out her reflection.

"Who are you?" She asked. He silently stood and walked to the back of a ship.

"A Mandalorian."

"Oh." Diana sighed and relaxed in her chair. She did not bother to question the Mandalorian more, as if she knew what a Mandalorian was. She noticed the heavy blood stains on her white medical coat as she slouched further into the seat. She forgot she was still in black slacks, black heels, and the cream shirt she wore to work. The Mandalorian returned with a damp towel and held it in front of her.

"Clean yourself up. There is a mirror and shower there. I can find you clothes." He pointed to a small door that blended well into the rest of the ship's internal parts. She nodded and gave a small smile to the masked man.

Inside the bathroom, Diana stood in front of the sink mirror. She stared at her horrifying reflection. She looked like a nightmare. Just like Danny and the other doctors and scientists, she had dried blood coming from her ears and her tear ducts and part of her hair was matted with blood. She gulped at her image and stared into her green eyes. They were bright against her disheveled exterior. She turned the hot water of the shower on and once inside, she let it pour over her and just stood there, unmoving, for a few minutes. She had no time to cry or to feel anything besides confusion. She was still in shock. She had no idea where she was nor who she was with.

After cleansing herself of blood and dirt, she turned the shower off and opened the thin metal door of the shower. A pair of brown clothes were folded on the sink counter. She had not heard the Mandalorian come in and despite normally being a little worried about the man, she felt the opposite. Diana dressed herself and checked her appearance again. The brown pants were loose and baggy but still comfortably and the matching shirt fit like a large sleep shirt. She sighed, content that at least she was in comfortable clothes for whatever she was doing. She stepped barefoot onto the metal floor of the cockpit and resumed her seat.

"So," She began, "I'm not sure what I do now."

"I'm taking us to Tatooine." He answered in the same monotone voice. His head never shifting an each. Diana pursed her lips at him and leaned her forearms on her knees. She had no idea what Tatooine was or where it was but figured that was not the biggest issue to confront just yet.

"Why are you helping me?" She asked. She stared at the side of the man's helmet.

"Watching you run around helpless was similar to watching a baby in the same position." He answered. "It was painful."

Diana's face fell and she cocked her head to the side before sitting up. She was not exactly expecting that response.

"Well, I can't thank you enough. My name is Diana." She stuck her hand out to him. He turned and looked at it, then to her, and then back to the space in front of them. With some embarrassment, she crossed her arms and sat back. She released a long sigh and stared at the window, letting the stars hypnotize her into a deep sleep.

* * *

I am revisiting this story since the new season is out! Please let me know what you think. Any comments or constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!


	2. Chapter I

**Chapter I - The Medic**

**2 Years Later**

"Aye, stay still." Diana commanded. She pushed down the shoulder of a Weequay and quickly finished bandaging his nearly severed arm. The creature grunted in distress

"There." She said as she taped the end down. "All done."

She took a step back and watched him check out his arm. After some incomprehensible murmuring he saluted her in his native tongue and dropped a few credits into her palm. Diana nodded her respect and watched the Weequay leave her ship.

For the past year, Diana had been putting her talent from Earth to use. She made good money acting as a nurse or sometimes even a surgeon to various races and species. She frequented spaceports considering that most individuals who needed aide and were willing to pay for her assistance were there. The year prior, her first year on Tatooine, she spent her time trying to find a way back to Earth, but what she gathered in those 12 months was that there was no possible way yet. As far as she knew, whatever the scientists were doing was top secret and the Empire had some small relations with them. It was far too dangerous for her to ask for anyone's help, so being as adaptable as she was, Diana accepted her fate and began to use her wits to get her all that she needed.

She stationed her ship just outside of Mos Eisley, Tatooine's biggest city with a bustling spaceport and an active criminal underworld. She managed to devoid herself of nearly all criminal activity during her time there. Although, some small confrontations occurred when she first started working as a pop-up nurse and doctor, but she established herself well and most individuals knew she was a neutral party. She only wished to help others for a handsome payment in return. After months of saving up credits, bouncing from one city to another and staying in Anchorhead with other humans, she eventually purchased a well-equipped starship. She was always surprised that her job in this galaxy seemed to make more money than it did back home.

Diana closed the hatch of her ship and opened her sleeping quarters. A bright sunset on the horizon made the ship's interior glow. She let out a long sigh as she removed her elbow length gloves and sat down in a chair to watch the glowing sun disappear. She was lonely on this planet and in this new galaxy, but she stayed positive and every day she grew to like it more and more. She was happy she was an independent woman, and always had been since she was a child. She made some friends around Tatooine, although they are nowhere near the same as the relationships she had on Earth. She grew familiar with the bartenders of Chalmun's Cantina. She was a regular at the busy saloon and even became friendly with some of the other regulars. On market days, she visited the same vendors and after some time, they recognized her and expected her every week.

Diana placed her newly earned credits in a well-protected safe. She unlaced her desert boots and changed out of a white tank top and beige cargo pants. She had been fit before, but out here in a desert-world like Tatooine, she reached a new level of athleticism and strength. She removed the clip from her hair and long dark tresses fell across her back. A long day called for a long hot shower and some good rest.

The next morning Diana woke early to be one of the first arrivals at the market. Later that day, she would trek to the opposite side of Tatooine to Bestine Township. She needed to restock food, fuel and other supplies before departing.

"Hello, Kida." She smiled at the fellow human. Kida, an older human, had a reputation that was not to be messed with. She had criminal past from when she was young but has since been settled in Tatooine for many, many years and living a much more peaceful and legal life.

"Good morning, Diana." The old lady greeted with a dry, raspy voice. She pushed back long curly gray hairs from her face and gave her full attention to the approaching young woman. "What is it you need today, hm?"

"The usual, please. Fully stocked." Diana answered with a smile.

"Wonderful, it will be a few moments while I package it all up for you." Kida turned around to begin grabbing Diana's usual goods - an assortment of food and other basic supplies.

"Take your time. I'm going to look around." Diana called to her. The old woman waved her arm in the air to signal she heard her.

Diana walked past other stands and stopped at one carrying snow globe-like orbs but with a different kind of goo in it. She hovered over the table among small children of different species and watched the strange liquid move. She was still was fascinated by all the new things she constantly was seeing and experiencing, even by objects that seemed to be toys for kids. She moved on and looked ahead at the other booths but stuttered in her step when she spotted someone two booths away. The Mandalorian – or perhaps another Mandalorian that looked just like the one that saved her, was standing just 20 yards from her. Since her time on her own, she heard stories of bounty hunters and of the Mandalorian people. She knew they all wore the similar beskar helmet and armor, but what are the chances this was the same one?

As if she spoke out loud, the Mandalorian turned his head to her. She stared at him with no expression and hated that she could not see his own. Diana was torn between looking away and approaching him. If it was the same one that saved her, she felt the need to thank him. The Mandalorian turned back to the vendor and exchanged some conversation. Diana felt relief and assumed it was a different Mandalorian and so she continued to look at the next booth until she saw the flashes of the unmistakable armor moving towards her. She silently watched him approach her as she felt glued to the sand beneath her.

"I see you're doing well." He said in that same monotonous voice. Although they spent little time together and it had been two years, she instantly recognized it.

"Yes. Thank you." Diana began, trying to think of what to say to him. "Thank you for saving me. I know I didn't really get the chance to say anything before."

The Mandalorian took in her appearance as she spoke to him. She was dressed properly for the desert and he could tell she was doing well for herself just by what she wore. He previously acknowledged that she was an attractive human but this time he really noticed her beauty. She looked like a person of royalty who did not belong on Tatooine. She looked tanner. Her olive complexion doing well in Tatooine's environment. Her hair was knotted loosely in a bun with stray pieces perfectly framing her heart-shaped face.

"You're welcome. Good to see you're still alive… and still in Tatooine."

"Yes, well-" Diana was cut off by the vendor yelling in another language at the Mandalorian. He turned his attention to the alien creature and was tossed a large straw bag filled to the top with various containers.

"If there's anything I can do to repay my thanks, please let me know." She continues as he turned back to face her. "I'm still not accustomed completely to the culture here but on Earth I owe you a favor."

"I'm not sure if there's anything you can do that would be of favor to me." He replied with no hesitation. Diana bit her tongue at his honesty. She was taken aback by his words, but his tone held no indication of him trying to be mean. Internally, she agreed with him. What could she do to help a man like him?

"True… well, thank you again. I best continue my errands." She waited for him to say something and wondered what he looked like under the helmet, and more importantly what his expression was at that moment. He simply gave one curt nod and walked past her. Diana did not move for a moment. She stood there slightly stunned by the plain interaction between them. He was a strange individual and it seemed that friendliness was not a common trait among most people here.

"Something new every day." She mumbled to herself and resumed her walk around the market.

That afternoon, after Diana prepared her food and stored the rest, she began to map out her excursion. She would need to pass through the desert to reach the capital. She made the journey twice before in the two years she was there. It was a few days of an expedition depending on how many stops she took, but it was nothing hard or tedious.

The next day, Diana stationed herself along a cliff in the Jundland Wastes. It was not her favorite place to stay the night due to the Tusken Raiders, but she needed at least a few hours of sleep. She later woke to the familiar sound of a blurrg on the outside of her starship. She stirred and opened the blinds of the window next to her bed. The sharp light of mid-day shocked her and gave her an instant headache. She groaned as she let go of the blinds. After a moment, Diana peeled back the blinds once more and saw an old friend. Barely awake, she removed herself from bed and opened her hatch, making sure to grab her blaster on the way out.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Kuiil?" She asked with a grainy, sleepy voice. She peaked one eye open at him as she stretched against the metal hatch.

"Did not mean to wake you, Diana of Earth. I recognized your ship." He said said. Diana leaned against the side of her ship and gave a half smile to the aging Ugnaught. She liked when he called her that.

"Well, it's good to see you. What're you doing over here?"

"I make my usual rounds." He said and motioned to the vast desert around them. "Come and have a meal." He ordered calmly. "I have spoken."

Diana watched as he turned on the blurrg and slowly began to make his way back to his farm. She knew she did not have a choice with him and luckily, she did not mind being in his company. She turned back inside her ship to grab her jacket and lock up before catching up to him.

"Going to Bestine again?" He asked once she fell into step beside him. On her first visit to Bestine, she come across Kuiil during her journey. She was an unprepared traveler and he helped her set up a campsite and even allowed her some of his food. She also confided in him about her true origins. He was one of the very few who knew where she came from.

"Yes. I'm looking for more work." She replied as she squinted to look across the desert. She could not make out his farm or any kind of structure over the flats and hills of the desert. Kuiil grunted in response.

Sometime later, Diana and Kuiil reached the farm. As a vapor farmer, Kuiil's camp was not very large but was still a decent size. He set to work on a kind of stew while Diana patiently waited around his farm site.

"How has your work been?" Kuiil asked once he sat down next to her and handed her a bowl of steaming soup. Over time, Diana grew accustomed to the different foods. Some were like Earth's but often they were something completely new that she never thought existed. She tasted all types of different flavors and textures and occasionally even ate an insect or two.

"It's good. Plenty of work here in Tatooine."

"Yes. There is a lot of action here." He replied before taking a long slurp.

"How is your work?"

"The same. Always plentiful. Like yours. There has been some chaos here in search of a bounty." He admitted with some distaste at the latter. She wondered if that was why she saw the Mandalorian.

"A bounty for what?"

"For that I believe." After some hesitation, Kuiil nodded in front of him and Diana looked to see what he gestured to. Along the horizon, the Mandalorian and a floating orb of metal were walking towards them. Diana raised a brow at the Ugnaught. From their distance, she wondered how he knew they were walking towards them.

"You know him?" She asked with surprise and confusion.

"Yes. Do you?"

"Yes." She slowly responded and resumed eating the stew. Diana watched the Mandalorian walk closer to them. She felt a little off seeing him again. He was not friendly, nor did he care to be. With every step closer, his armor shined in the light and the floating orb lightly bounced beside him.

"I thought you were dead." Kuiil said to him once he reached earshot. Kuiil stood from his seat and walked to the floating carriage. "This is what was causing all the fuss?" He asked after closer examination. Diana's head perked up as she tried to focus on the floating orb. Two tips of fuzzy green ears poked out.

"I think it's a child." The Mandalorian said as he removed the green child from the carriage and placed him on the ground. Diana noticed the Mandalorian's armor acquired some damage since she last saw him as loose electricity wires strewed from his left forearm. The Mandalorian turned his attention away from the baby and to Diana as she stood to join them.

"I was told you know Diana of Earth." Kuiil said to no one in particular. His attention still focused on the child.

"I do." The Mandalorian confirmed. Diana ignored him and leaned closer to the child and smiled. "My ship has been destroyed. I'm trapped here." He informed, mainly to Kuiil.

"Awh." Diana gushed as soon as she saw the baby. "He's so cute." The little green child looked back at Diana with wide eyes. She had never seen anything like him before and she was easily smitten by his adorable features.

"Stripped. Not destroyed." Kuiil told the Mandalorian. He turned his attention away from the child and walked to back to his camp to grab something. "The Jawas steal. They don't destroy." He returned with a small tool and handed it to the armored man. Diana stood up and watched him tinker with his broken armor.

"Stolen or destroyed, it makes no difference to me."

"Well it should. It makes a world of a difference if it's not destroyed." Diana said to him. She looked at him fully until he returned her stare, but he did not give her much attention.

"They're protected by the crawling fortress. There's no way to recover the parts." He said as he returned to fixing his armor. He was clearly upset about his ship – which was the first time Diana ever heard him give way to any emotion.

"You could trade." Diana offered.

"With Jawas? Are you out of your mind?!" He exclaimed and snapped his head back at her. She imagined a shocked expression under his helmet from her even suggesting such a thing. She almost wanted to laugh at his outburst but held her tongue and ignored him again.

"I will take you to them. I have spoken." Kuiil added in, albeit much more calmly. Diana and the Mandalorian turned their attention to him, but the small being turned back around and left the two alone as he went to finish his food. Diana returned her attention to the child and watched it coo and follow a small frog.

"Friends with Ugnaughts, too?" The Mandalorian asked her. She glanced to him and let her eyes rest on black slits of his helmet. She stood awkwardly in front of him and rested her hands in her front pockets.

"I've become friends with nearly everyone I've met." She answered.

"What're you doing out here?"

"I'm going to Bestine. What are you doing?" She asked, figuring that she could question the same.

"Collecting this bounty." He gestured to the child and Diana nodded in response. He just confirmed her previous ideas of him.

"For a bounty, I wouldn't expect such a child."

"He's 50 years old." Diana's brows furrowed and she gave the Mandalorian a ridiculous look as if he were making a joke. "Some species age different." He explained. She nodded slowly, still unsure whether he was being honest or not. They both watched the 50-year-old infant follow the frog some more and then suddenly have it halfway in his mouth. A small gasp came from Diana.

"Hey, spit that out." The Mandalorian ordered but instead, the baby swallowed it. Diana raised a brow at the tiny creature. The Mandalorian and her sharked a look to each other.

"Well, that's interesting." Diana said and she watched the baby with even more curiosity. Behind her, she heard a blurrg waking and Kuiil set him up to ride. He carried a trailer towards its end and attached it.

"I will stay behind, Kuiil, and return to my ship." She shouted at him.

"No. You're coming." He said matter-of-factly. "Diana of Earth needs to experience as much as she can." Diana sighed at the man's words. "I have spoken."


	3. Chapter II

It took about a half-day's journey to reach the Jawa's fortress. To say that the Mandalorian was a boring travel companion was an understatement. Diana wished she did not go with them. She had no business going and especially no business with the bounty hunter. Throughout their journey, they shared barely any conversation. Diana tried to sleep most of the time in the small space and when she was awake, she interacted more with the child than with her two older companions.

Diana wrapped a thin fabric around her shoulders and covered her head and mouth to protect herself from the harsh sun. The sun was beginning to heat up and she could feel it begin to warm her skin. A distant sound gained her attention and she looked farther ahead of them. Past the dunes, she could see the small bodies of Jawas scrambling around their large home. She let out a content sigh.

"We're here." She said with relief and turned around in her seat to look at the Mandalorian and the toddler. The Mandalorian sat up from his crouched state and looked in front of them.

"Good." He nodded. Diana glanced to the green toddler and he looked back at her with the same wide-eyed expression. She gave a little smile to him and looked back out onto the desert. As they came closer to the massive moving fortress, Kuiil made his entrance. He waved his arms and shouted hello. The Jawas shared some words that neither Diana nor the Mandalorian understood.

"They really don't like you for some reason." Kuiil said to the bounty hunter.

"Well, I did disintegrate a few of them." The Mandalorian watched Diana's brows furrow in confusion at his words. He assumed she had never seen a disintegrator, a dangerous instrument, she probably would not like it. As they came closer to the fortress, they both turned their attention to the rusted, high walls and saw a few Jawas poke their head out. Their chatter among each other seemed to get louder the more Kuiil spoke to them.

"You need to drop your rifle." Kuiil directed. He barely shared a glance to the Mandalorian and kept most of his attention on the squirmy Jawas.

"I'm a Mandalorian. Weapons are part of my religion." He defended but Kuiil stopped and turned to him.

"Then you're not getting your parts back."

Diana silently watched their exchange then noticed some of the Jawas point their own weapons at them. The Mandalorian hesitantly grumbled his agreement and dropped his weapon. Kuiil removed himself from the blurrg then lent his hand for Diana to join him on the solid ground. A Jawa approached them and said something.

"And your blaster." Kuiil pointed to the Mandalorian. Diana looked back at him and she tried to hide a small sarcastic smile. She followed Kuiil to the rest of the Jawas and took a seat in front of them. The Mandalorian reluctantly followed and sat beside her. She observed the alien conversation between them.

"They will trade all the parts for the beskar." Kuiil spoke to the Mandalorian.

"I'm not going to trade anything. These are my parts. They stole them from me." He said back to them with fever in his voice. Diana watched him try to speak Jawa to them and they laughed in return. The main one said something directly to the Mandalorian and Diana was startled when the Mandalorian yelled back at it and shot fire from his wrist at them.

"Woah! Easy, easy!" Kuiil scolded. He shot a dark look to the Mandalorian and then returned some conversation to the small humanoids. After some seemingly never-ending banter, Kuiil sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"The egg." He muttered.

"What egg?" Diana asked. The Jawas surrounding them began to chant in unison. They held their little arms up with enthusiasm and frankly, the action freaked Diana out.

Shortly after, Diana found herself inside the cockpit of the crawling fortress. She crouched down low and squished herself between the small floor and ceiling. To her left, the Mandalorian did the same. They were both extremely uncomfortable as they were being escorted to a spot for the Mandalorian to find the egg of a creature. Diana didn't understand much of what was going on, but she took in every detail. They eventually stopped where the creature lived. The Jawas hurried to instruct them to go down to the lower parts of the fortress. The giant door fell to the ground and a cloud of dust blew up. Silently, the Mandalorian began to walk out with the floating carriage beside him.

"You're taking the child with you?" Diana called after him. The bounty hunter turned back to them and glanced down at the child. The small green alien looked between Diana and the Mandalorian as if he understood.

"Yes. He'll follow me anyway if I don't."

Diana didn't reply and watched them turn back and walk farther from the fortress.

"They'll be okay." Kuiil said to her. He began to walk away from her and onto the desert. "He is a Mandalorian." Diana still didn't fully understand what it meant to be a Mandalorian, but so far she gathered they were a strong species of man. She followed Kuiil and sat on a large rock. Some Jawas came down and did their own thing some distance from them.

"We just wait now?" She asked Kuiil. He took a seat on a smaller rock next to her. He confirmed her question and Diana fell back against the rock to take a nap in the heat of the sun.

It felt like hours when Diana woke to the sounds of Jawas conversing with Kuiil. She had no idea how long she'd been out, but by the way the sun had moved, it was a long time. With groggy eyes, she watched some Jawas shake their head at Kuiil then begin to board their fortress without them. Kuiil yelled some words at them and waved his arms in distress. She realized the Mandalorian and the child were still gone and worry began to slightly build in her.

"They don't want to wait anymore." Kuiil said to her. He was clearly upset and rejoined her on the rock. She watched him take a seat and then look the way the Mandalorian had left. There was nothing but rocks and sand. As she was about to ask if they should go look for him, a shimmer of light reflected against the sand in the afternoon sun. A few seconds later, the faded image of the Mandalorian and the child came into view.

"Look, they're here!" She said to Kuill and pointed at the two distant figures.

"Mando!" Kuill shouted and jumped off the rock. Aboard their ship, the Jawas heard the commotion and could easily see the Mandalorian returning.

"I have it. I got the egg." The Mandalorian said with little enthusiasm as he approached Diana and Kuiil. Diana took in his dirty appearance. It was a stark contrast than when he left. His armor was caked with mud and his chest piece was decently broken. The Jawas scantered off their vessel and swarmed the Mandalorian to take the furry egg. Diana and the Mandalorian watched with intrigue and slight disgust as the Jawas sliced the top of the egg off and scooped up handfuls of the yellow yolk.

"I'm surprised you waited." Mando said to Kuiil.

"I'm surprised you took so long." The small being replied. He turned back around to gather his belongings from the fortress.

"You look awful. How's the little guy?" Diana asked. She still sat perched on top of the giant rock with her knees tucked into her chest. Her head turned slightly as she examined the warrior and child.

"Sleeping. He…" The Mandalorian paused to look down at the sleeping child. "He helped me kill it." He finished with a hushed voice and with a look to Diana.

"He helped you?" She asked as hopped off the rock to look at the child. She tucked some of his bedding tighter around him. The Mandalorian went on to explain what the child had done exactly. Diana was just as puzzled as he was the more he explained it. Normally she would believe the child had a superpower – but from being in this world and galaxy, she was not quite sure if superpower was the correct term.

Sometime later, Kuiil began to take the three of them back to the Mandalorian's ship with all his missing pieces trailing behind them. They arrived back the ship that night and immediately set to work. Diana did not mind the labor. It helped her learn how starships operated and maybe one day – she would be able to put the new knowledge to her own use. By morning, the ship was up and running. Diana was impressed by their non-stop work and was quite proud that she was able to help as well.

"I can't thank you enough. Both of you. Allow me to give you a portion of the reward." Mando said to Kuiil first and then to Diana as they stood at the hangar of his ship. Diana watched the sunrise but took a moment to turn to him.

"No, that's all yours." She said to him. "And thank you both, I learned a lot on this trip."

"I cannot accept either. You are my guest, and I am your servant." Kuiil said to him. "Thank you for bringing peace to my valley." He finished and patted Mando on the chest.

"Diana." Kuiil said as he exited the ship towards the blurrg. That was her cue to leave. She gave one last look at the bounty hunter and smiled. She glanced at the sleeping child before taking a position behind Kuiil on the blurrg.

"Good luck with the child. May it survive and bring you a handsome reward. I have spoken." Kuiil shouted one last time to him as he instructed the blurrg to move. Diana watched as the Mandalorian entered his ship and close the hatch. It was not long before Diana made it safely back to her own vessel. She was happy to see it still intact and unharmed.

"I cannot thank you enough either, Kuiil." She said to the Ugnaught.

"And I you, Diana. Your company is always welcomed." They each made their farewell to each other before Diana began to board her own ship.

"May you have safe travels and prosperity the rest of your time here. I have spoken." Kuiil said as she began to raise her hanger door. She smiled and nodded at him. Diana immediately started to prepare for her travels and did not want to delay any longer. With eager, she began to take flight and successfully was in the air until red lasers began firing at her ship.

Not too far away, the Mandalorian began his ascent out of Tatooine after prepping for his flight and eating. About 10 minutes after taking off, he heard rapid beeping coming from his radars. On the black screen, three armored spaceships were flying towards him; however, their reported altitude was significantly lower. He could not make out the kind of ship, but he knew the only thing back in that direction was more desert and Diana. He ignored the ships and continued to fly away until he heard the all too familiar sounds of lasers being fired. He glanced at the baby still sleeping beside him.

After some thought and a groan, the Mandalorian abruptly turned his ship around and discretely began to follow the three other ships from above. If Diana wasn't their target, he decided he would turn back around but if she was, then he would have no choice but to help. The cloud coverage cleared some as the Mandalorian decreased his altitude to get a visual of the action. Below him, three TIE Interceptors were blasting at the desert below. He could hardly see what they were firing at from all the dust, but he knew that was where Diana's starship was. He followed them closely and lowered to their level to see the ground, in the distance he could spot Diana's ship and they were rapidly approaching. The Interceptors continued their firing and the Mandalorian soon realized that Diana was out of her battered starship. He could see her small, retreating figure running on the ground. The Mandalorian took that second to act. He fired at the middle Interceptor in front of him and then the other two. He was able to shoot down one, but Interceptors are built to be fast, and they easily turned on him.

On land, Diana kept running as fast as she could through the empty desert. She ditched her starship as the lasers became more and more frequent and more on target. She ran for some time and frantically searched for shelter or a cave but there was nothing in sight. A sudden crash of metal caused her to look behind and see the broken Interceptor crumbling on the ground. She stopped and looked up. The remaining two Interceptors were attempting to shoot down a familiar ship, but actively evaded lasers. She turned back around and kept running away from them when she saw one of the ships begin to charge towards her.

The ship began to fire again at her and this time it was close. Numerous lasers hit the sand just feet from her and she wondered when one would hit her. She kept running and running and it wasn't until she saw a blackness in the floor of the desert. After a seemingly never-ending chase, she came closer to the blackness and realized it was a fault in the desert floor. She prayed it wasn't an illusion or wishful thinking, but this crack looked like it opened to a deep cavern which would be her ultimate savior. Diana thanked her stars as she could see that the fault in the ground was long and thin but still wide enough for her to slip through. She dodged the continuous stream of lasers before sliding across the sand and into the crevice. A small scream came from her lips as she fell 15 feet and landed hard on her back. She gasped desperately for air and stared in a daze at the small sliver of sky she could make through the rock above her. It took a few minutes until she regained her breath. Diana slowly sat up and observed her surroundings. She could not have been luckier. She found herself lying in a small cavern that stretched on farther than she could make out. She listened for anymore sounds of the starships and tried to get a good look at the sky. She could not see anything nor hear anything. She deemed it safe for now and slid down against the side of the wall until she hit the floor.

Diana steadied her breathing and looked at the blaster in her hand. It was the only thing she could grab from her starship once she heard them firing at her. She looked to her hands next and took in her blistered and scratched up palms. She took in her clothing. Her shirt was torn, and her pants were ripped at the knees. She had scrapes on her arms and dirt and sand everywhere. With a loud sigh, she tilted her head back against the wall and closed her eyes. She just lost everything. Her starship was no doubt destroyed. She had no credits, no food, no clothes. All that she created for herself was gone within minutes.

Diana let out a yell of frustration and tried to suppress the tears that began to form. She remembered the Mandalorian's ship take on the Interceptors. She wondered if he was going to come back to look for her or maybe he thought she was dead. She felt defeated and helpless and she tried to think of nothing as she forced her eyes shut and eventually, she fell asleep.

The sound of falling rocks woke Diana. She struggled to get her bearings. It was much darker in the cavern now. On the opposite wall about 30 feet from her, small pebbles began to fall from the ground above and Diana wondered what was causing the disturbance. The sliver of sky that she was able to see was now an orange red. She did not bother to get up and instead she waited for the intruder to come down. A silver boot stuck its foot into an exposed hole on the wall. The other boot soon followed, and Diana began to watch the Mandalorian descend into the cavern she took her slumber in.

"I'm surprised you came to help." She said in a dry voice as he neared her. The floating carriage followed him around with its lid covered the child.

"I'm surprised you're alive."

"Yeah, me too." She grumbled to herself. The Mandalorian stopped at her feet. He offered her his hand to stand up and she hesitantly took it.

"You have Imperial Interceptors trying to kill you." He told her as she dusted herself off.

"Is that what they are?" She questioned with a very sarcastic tone. He did not say anything, and Diana felt a tinge bad for being rude. "It's not the first time they've come after me, but it was never with those ships."

"Your ship is destroyed." Diana sighed and looked at him. His bluntness beginning to annoy her. She found herself wishing she were sitting down posted against the rock by herself again.

"I figured that much. My ship, my money, my equipment." She muttered the latter to herself. She glanced around the darkening cavern with exasperation.

"Come on." The Mandalorian instructed. He turned around with the floating carriage by his side, but Diana did not move.

"Where?" She paused and shook her head as he continued without her. "And why? Maybe I should just let them catch me." She called after him. He paused and turned to face her. He sensed her change in demeanor. He sensed that she was giving up.

"Trust me, you don't want that. You've come this far."

Diana wanted to plead with him. Tell him that she did not know what the hell she was doing. She did not have any goals but to survive, had no idea where she would be in a year or if she would even be alive. He stared back at her and could tell she was analyzing things. Analyzing her position. Analyzing him. Analyzing what they would do. Finally, he watched her take silent steps towards him and pass him to climb the wall he just came from.


	4. Chapter III

The Mandalorian brought Diana to his ship. He felt like it was a repeat of the first time they had met - she needed to be rescued again and he was yet again going to give her another pair of his clothes. The first time he took her to Tatooine, he was able to get her a job at one of the trading posts. He left her there with a place to stay and a reasonable source of income. The last thing he expected was for her to become a medic making hefty earnings. Her ship was made of the finest material and he knew it was not cheap.

He quietly looked over her appearance as he closed the hangar door behind them. Her top had nearly gone to shreds and her tan undergarment now showed. He could clearly see her exposed skin and muscles. There were various tears along her pants, and she was bleeding in some spots. Diana suddenly looked at him then and he felt like he had been caught staring, but he was lucky to have his helmet protecting him. Her eyes seemed even more bright against her dirt-stained skin. Her hair was no longer in its neat bun but loose and barely being held up. The Mandalorian wondered if all women from Earth were still this pretty after being attacked. He noted that she had held her own over the past two years. She was successful and admirably much more able to handle his world.

"You should wash up. I can grab you some clothes." He said. Diana watched him move to the other side of the ship and open various metal cabinets. He withdrew a couple different articles of clothing.

"I think I'm experiencing déjà vu." She said mainly to herself.

"What?"

"Déjà vu." She said again. "Like when you've lived through the same situation already."

"Oh." He plainly answered and handed her the clothes again. His response showed that he either did not understand or that he did not care. As she looked at the familiar clothes, she noticed they were identical to the ones he gave her two years ago.

"Definitely déjà vu." She mumbled as she took the clothes and went to the bathroom.

The Mandalorian watched her leave. He was not sure what he was doing. He was now harboring an individual who the Empire wanted dead and was putting himself at risk, but he could not leave her. He was never the type to take on company well and as much as he did like his solitary, he felt pity for Diana and determined that he would take her to a safe place so she could start all over again. He left to go to his private quarters in the back of the ship. The space was not big but was comfortable enough for him to rest with ample room. It still managed to fit the floating carriage. He removed his helmet and freshened up before he would begin his journey to turn in the bounty.

Returning to the cockpit, he found Diana sitting against the window asleep. Her hair was down and fell well past her shoulders. He had never seen her with her hair down. It was pretty and long, and he thought it looked soft. He silently moved to sit in the captain's chair and began to fire up the starship. The child was still asleep, and he glanced to him once the jets were on, taking notice again that the child looked so peaceful sleeping. He wondered why his client needed this kid and more importantly what they were going to do with it.

"Where are we going?" Diana spoke up with a scratchy voice. The rumble of the ship woke her, and she was in a better mood than before. He did not turn around to look at her but instead flicked on a couple more switches and then took the spaceship into the air.

"First, I'm going to take the bounty in." Diana looked over at the sleeping child across from her. She had grown to be quite fond of the child despite their small interaction. From what the Mandalorian had told her before, he seemed to be quite the talented little kid.

"What do they want with him?" She asked without taking her eyes off the child.

"I don't know."

"How much are you getting for it?"

"20 bars of beskar."

"What is that?

"It's Mandalorian armor. It's sacred."

"Is 20 a lot?"

Mando sighed before answering. "Yes."

"Is _he_ worth 20 bars of beskar?" Mando turned to her then. He did not mind her asking questions, but not when they question his purpose.

"It's my job. I don't ask why or what they're doing with any bounty. It's against the code." He snapped to her.

"Hm, the life of a bounty hunter. You must make good money." She said and looked away from him. She turned her face to look out the window and at the passing stars. The Mandalorian noted a cut across her left cheek. He sighed and turned back around with one last glance at the child.

"You must make good money as a human medic."

"Yes. Don't think many people here have seen an exclusively human medic for a long time." She shrugged. "People and aliens would rather be in the company of a woman. I'm not as pesky as some of the droids either."

"I will help you get grounded somewhere else. Somewhere safer."

"Why?"

"Like I said the first time, it's painful to see you try to fend for yourself. Although, you did a good job earlier. You're still alive after facing three Interceptors."

"You seemed surprised." She said with some humor and looked at him.

"I don't imagine many people from Earth being able to handle your position as well as you have."

Diana returned to looking back out the window to hide her fallen face. As much as she had grown to like this new world, it was nothing like home. Now, it seemed like Earth was the alien planet she knew none of.

"They wouldn't. I… I don't know whether to try to go back." She admitted. The Mandalorian put his ship on autopilot and turned in his chair to face her. He carefully observed her and noticed her change in body language during their conversation. He tried to put himself in her shoes and imagine being in such a foreign place that he did not know existed. He knew that after living in one single world would puzzle him beyond his comprehension. He could not fathom what he would feel.

Throughout the past two years, Diana had no one to voice her thoughts or internal struggles and debates to. She stared deep into his helmet where she imagined his eyes to be and wished she were talking face-to-face with someone. Although she technically was, it was never the same as seeing someone's bare expressions.

"What do you know about it so far?" He asked. Diana was a little surprised by his interest in her situation, but she welcomed it.

"Not much." She sighed and slouched back into her seat. "They don't speak much of it. At least the people that I've followed. By they I mean those Stormtroopers. It's hard to get to officials, especially when I don't know a damn thing about how these planets or people work. It seems impossible that I would be able to get back and that's even if they have the technology to do so."

"Well, Earth is in a galaxy far away. I don't know where exactly and I don't think many people do because it's… an unspoken place."

"Why is that? Why don't we know about _any_ of this?" She gestured to everything around her, feeling a bit exasperated that all of _this _exists without any Earthling knowing.

"I don't know. Earth is too far, no one inhabits the neighboring planets and as far as I know. Their technology is still centuries if not thousands of years behind ours." Diana hummed in response. That she knew was true.

"Well, I've accepted my fate and am doing my best here. Which by the way, I think is pretty damn good." She added enthusiastically, but her words more to reassure herself rather than just telling him. The Mandalorian chuckled at her which made Diana take a moment to register the short and small, deep laugh.

"You have done well. I can tell. To buy a ship like yours takes a lot of credits."

She took her time to respond to him and began to grow upset that she had lost everything she had in that starship. It was hard coming from nothing when she first came here and now it was just an unwelcomed repeated event.

"Yeah, well all my money was in that ship so I'm definitely starting from square one again."

"Where we're going will have a lot of business for you. I will show you where to go, but you must stay only where I tell you and don't go with anyone. I think the client has Imperial connections so you will be at risk, too." He instructed with some fierce order.

"So why are you giving them the kid? I can't imagine what they would want with him, especially considering…" She trailed off. She lifted her hand to mimic the child. He thought the same thing but tried his best to devoid himself of those thoughts.

"When we get to the other planet, you will need to find a head piece or something to wrap around your body. You'll be too noticeable otherwise." He said, completely ignoring her words about the kid.

"I see your wardrobe hasn't changed much over the years." She added as she gestured to her attire. The Mandalorian ignored her again and turned back around to sit properly in the cockpit. Diana watched him for a few more seconds before returning her attention to space. She pursed her lips while she thought on the man's personality.

"You know, I was beginning to think you were a droid or something."

"Why? I am very human." He replied with a monotone voice.

"Hard to tell with all that metal on sometimes."

"It is the Way." Diana did not know what he meant by that, but she made no reply and sank in her seat in an attempt to fall back asleep. She knew she would need her rest in the days to come.


	5. Chapter IV

The Mandalorian landed his ship in one of Nevarro's spaceports. Diana silently sat in her same position against the window and watched the Mandalorian stand and program his ship.

"I'm going to take the child first." He said and closed the lid of the floating carriage so they could no longer see the sleeping child. "_Stay_ _here_. Don't do anything or touch anything until I come back." He ordered.

"You got it." He turned to her then and did not say anything for a sometime.

"There's food in those cabinets. I won't be gone for long. Don't let anyone try to work on the ship." He began to make his way to the exit of the ship. "Especially droids."

Diana turned in her seat to watch the two beings leave and with a loud mechanical sound the hangar door closed after them. She was engulfed with silence and darkness with the only light source coming from outside.

She stood and stretched her muscles. Her back ached from the fall she took into the cavern. It felt as though her whole back was bruised, and she was not surprised if it was black and blue. Diana still could not really believe everything that happened. She moved to the cabinets in search of food and was pleasantly surprised when she found that the Mandalorian stored good food. Good food that was not some weird alien substance. No matter how hard she tried some things were just too foreign for her. She settled with a heaping handful of exotic fruits and clusters like granola. As she ate, she toured about the starship. It was like hers, although much older and with a much more complex system. She plopped down into the captain's seat and continued to eat her food. Through the windshield, she could distantly make out droids and other travelers entering and leaving the space hub.

It was about an hour later when the Mandalorian returned. He entered his ship to find Diana sleeping in his chair. Her feet were propped on the dash and head lulled completely to one side. She did not look comfortable. He coughed loudly to wake her up. Diana slowly grew out of her slumber and jumped in her seat when she saw the Mandalorian towering over her.

"In the compartment there, there is a first aid kit. Bring it and let's find you some work." He gruffly said and turned on his heel to exit the ship. Diana quickly gathered herself and followed him in a slight sleepy daze with the first aid kit in hand. She tucked her blaster into her pants and tried to pull her hair back as she quickened her pace to match his.

"How did it go with the child?" Diana asked with genuine curiosity.

"Fine." He answered quick and short. Diana sensed he was not in a good mood. She wondered how it truly went down with the bounty, but she stayed quiet for the remainder of their walk.

The Mandalorian led her outside of the spaceport and into the volcanic lands of Nevarro. Diana noticed a few establishments in the area but nothing close to a major city. She followed the Mandalorian into a clay-like building. A large, round bar took up the center of the pub and tables made of the earth lined the walls. She figured it to be a cantina.

"Sit at the bar." Mando instructed. They stood in the center of the entrance and he looked around at the sparsely populated place. Diana looked at him with confusion but obeyed. She sat at the empty bar and did not notice anyone manning it. Eventually, the Mandalorian joined her and a person greeted them to take their order.

"Get a drink." He told Diana before turning to the barman. "Let it be known she is a medic for anyone, as long as they pay well. She's under my watch."

The barman – a large man with an aging face, widened his eyes at him and nodded that he understood. He left them after bringing Diana a spotchka. The Mandalorian leaned against the bar and faced her fully as she took a sip.

"Don't leave here. Do not pick any fights. I won't be gone for too long." Diana raised a brow at him.

"Where are you going?" Mando lifted himself up as she questioned his whereabouts.

"To get new armor." He said bluntly and turned away. Diana watched him leave the cantina before turning back in her seat to her freshly poured spotchka. She sighed and took a heavy sip. Another period of being alone.

Diana scanned the empty cantina. She shook her head at the fact that the Mandalorian said she would find work here. There was hardly anyone here and the whole planet seemed rather desolate and bare. After two more spotchkas, Diana was beginning to feel a heavy buzz. She leaned forward to call the server over again, but a man covered in metal armor suddenly blocked her. Diana drew back in caution at the stranger. It was not the Mandalorian she was familiar with, but a different one. Behind them were two other Mandalorians silently looking at her.

"Are you Diana?" The one nearest her asked.

"Yes." She hesitantly answered.

"We need your medical assistance. He is injured." The deep voice said as he gestured to his ally. Diana noticed a pointless yellow cloth wrapped around his elbow with blood seeping through. "You will be rewarded." With a small smile, Diana agreed she would help. The four of them moved to a large table in the back of the cantina and she instructed the injured Mandalorian to sit down. She began to examine his plated arm and asked what happen.

"I was in battle and a spear lodged itself in a weak point in my beskar." He explained. His voice was not as deep as she expected. He sounded young to her and under his heavy armor, she imagined a young 20-something boy.

"Can you take this off so that I can fully bandage it right?" She asked as she stood tall over him. The two other Mandalorians sat at the table and quietly but eagerly watched her every move.

The young Mandalorian looked to the others. After a moment, they both nodded to approve his removal of his body armor. Diana knew it was forbidden for them to remove their helmet, but apparently that was not the case for body armor. She patiently waited for the young man to remove the armor plates that lined his hand, forearm and upper arm.

"Thank you." Diana said to all three of the warriors.

After seeing his bare arm, she began to work. He needed multiple stitches after she removed the remaining shards of stone that lodged itself into his skin. She worked fluidly and without error. While her work was efficient, she knew that it was not painless but the young Mandalorian showed no reaction to pain. He apparently had a high threshold.

"Keep that gauze on it tight for the rest of the day. Clean it well and the stitches should come out on their own in a few days." She instructed him as she washed her hands with a spare rag. The young Mandalorian moved his arm back and forth and examined his work. She watched him move his arm around and examined her work.

"Thank you. It feels better already." She smiled at him as he began to put his armor back on. She was happy he was content with her work and that she performed well in front of the other Mandalorians.

"Thank you, Diana." The other, older Mandalorian said "You provided a great service to us." He stood and reached for a small bag that hung on his belt loop and handed it to her.

"I cannot take this. This is far too much." Diana said with some confusion. She did not need to open the bag to know how many credits were inside. Its weight alone gave way to its supple amount.

"We heard you are the best. You must be rewarded as such." He answered coolly. Diana bit the inside of her mouth as they all stood and began to leave the cantina. They gave their thanks and blessings again before leaving her to be alone yet again.

She sighed as she moved the bag of money between both hands. She figured her Mandalorian friend told them to come to her. She was not a fan of it but, money was money, and she needed that right now.

Later, Diana found herself drinking another spotchka while she sat in the same seat at the bar. She had no idea how much time had passed but figured it was ample as the cantina began to crowd with more people. She kept to herself as more people and other species came to the bar. The last thing she wanted was to be harassed by any of them.

After what seemed like her tenth spotchka, Diana was beginning to become impatient with the Mandalorian. She had no way to contact him and he left her in another foreign place. She stared at her half-full drink when a loud beeping began to echo throughout the cantina. She watched as nearly everyone in the establishment pulled out a tracker. Each one beeped and flashed a red light and she realized everyone with a tracker was a bounty hunter.

Each bounty hunter looked to one another and began to converse, but Diana could not understand their language. She tried to hear what the humans were saying but suddenly they all began to simultaneously leave the bar. A bad feeling began to rise in her stomach and after a few minutes, she paid for her drinks and silently followed the rest of the people outside.

She discreetly followed them through the low buildings until they stopped in an opening of a street. An older man with dark hair and features began to give them orders but she was out of range to hear. She hid behind a few large cannisters and looked on. The large group of aliens and humans dispersed and hid around the area like she did. Only the man who gave them orders stood in the center of the road. Diana watched with confusion as minutes passed and still no movement or any action by anyone.

"Hand it over, Mando." She suddenly heard. Diana turned her eyes to the sound and was surprised when she saw the Mandalorian facing the man with the child in his arms.

Some words were said between them, but she still could not hear. Clearly, they wanted the child and the Mandalorian was not prepared to give it to them. Suddenly, the other bounty hunters stood from their hiding spots and aimed their blasters at him.

In a blink of an eye, the Mandalorian jumped onto the back of a trailer just as the other beings fired at him. Diana reached for her blaster and held it steady in front of her as she still crouched behind the cannisters. As the others continued their battle, she attacked the other bounty hunters from behind and shot the ones closest to her before pressing forward. Among the ruckus, she was completely unnoticed as she even fired at bounty hunters that were a closer threat to the Mandalorian.

The fight continued and she still maintained her stealth position. Diana knew she could not risk the other bounty hunters finding her, so she stayed low and hidden in the rear of the enemy. The Mandalorian was putting up a decent fight especially being so outnumbered and with her unknown assistance, but it was when she shot a droid who was nearly about to kill the Mandalorian that a nearby bounty hunter spotted her.

"Who do we have here?" He bellowed. He was a large, giant-like man. He stomped his way to her. Diana began to scramble from her position, but his long arm quickly reached her, and his large hand pulled her back to grab her by the throat. She immediately dropped her weapon and with both hands began to tug at the man's tight grip against her neck.

"One of yours Mando?" He called out. He walked closer to the fight and held her higher for all to see. Diana could only see the sky above her as she squirmed and tried to get out of his grip. As she clawed at his hand, she felt him tighten and the blurring sound of lasers began to slow. The Mandalorian frantically looked at Diana being strangled by the giant. His heart quickened as he heard her gasps for air. He suddenly was frozen in his position behind the barrels on the trailer with the child lying at his side.

"Let her go." He ordered the giant.

"Oh, a weak spot? The Mandalorian has a weak spot!" The giant chirped at him. He let out a loud booming laugh as he moved Diana in the air, and she began to lose consciousness. "I should kill her now, so you don't have a weak spo-"

The giant gasped mid-sentence and began to fall backward. His grip loosened on Diana and she fell to the ground beneath her. The giant tumbled back before falling dead on his back. The Mandalorian watched as multiple others of his kind arrived with jetpacks and began to fire at the remaining enemy bounty hunters. He made eye contact with the one he talked earlier that day. They nodded their respect to each other and the Mandalorian returned his attention to Diana.

She lay still on the ground and it was clear she was no longer conscious. Another Mandalorian on a jetpack landed in front of her and shielded her body. He quickly jumped over the barrels and swiftly scooped her body up over his shoulder. He returned to his previous spot to grab the child before making his exit to his ship.

Once inside, the Mandalorian first lay the child in the spare seat near the window. It was easily big enough to act as a bed for him. With Diana still limp over his shoulder, he carried her body to his sleeping quarters and lay her slowly on his bed. He immediately noticed the dark bruise marks that already began to form on her neck. He let out a deep breath and looked at her for just a moment longer before closing the door and leaving her to rest. He returned to his seat and began to program his ship for takeoff. His mission now was to go to a safe and isolated planet that would hide him from the Guild and the Empire for both Diana and the child's sake.


	6. Chapter V

"Diana. Come on!"

Diana smiled and laughed at her friend Elise. Elise rolled her eyes and tugged at her hand. She led her through the busy Italian restaurant and out onto the rooftop patio.

"Happy birthday!" The group shouted once Diana stepped onto the rooftop. Diana smiled and could not help the redness spread across her face as she looked at her surroundings. Her closest friends stood around a long rectangular table that was set with flowers and other plants. Their lunch was meant to be a surprise to Diana, but it was hard to get much past her.

"Thank you, guys." She drew out with a cheeky grin and began to walk to each of her friends. She hugged each one and they began to sing Happy Birthday to her. Elise walked from the opposite end of the table with the cake in her hand. She sang too and it was not until she was a few feet in front of Diana that she noticed her cake was not a cake. It was a small metal box with a green glow in the middle. It could not have been more than 6 inches across each way. Two candles lay on either side of it and were rapidly melting down. Diana frantically looked to Elise and then to her friends. She knew the candles could melt all the way down or else something would happen. Something like before.

"Make a wish!"

"Blow them out!" Her friends chanted to her but before Diana could blow at them, an explosion erupted from the box.

Diana woke with a startle. She gasped for air as if she were being held under water. She slowed her heavy breathing and stared at the darkness of the ceiling above her. Her dream was an almost exact memory of her 28th birthday, but the box, that damn metal box haunted her dreams.

She did not know how long she lay there, and she did not have any desire to move until she realized that she was laying down _in a bed_. Diana looked around at the bedding and pillows. The dark sheets were not familiar to her. She noticed the long rounded rectangular window to the right of the bed and saw the passing stars in the black sky of space. She must be on the Mandalorian's ship.

The last thing she remembered was being on Nevarro and being strangled by the giant. Diana lifted her fingers and pressed her fingertips to her neck and touched her tender skin. _Ouch. _She slowly stood up and looked around the room. It looked like her old quarters except she noticed shelves and a rather empty closet of sorts. She hit the button to open the door.

Across from her was the Mandalorian and the child sitting at the front of the ship. The child's long ears perk up at the sound of the door opening but the Mandalorian made no movement. She silently walked deeper into the cockpit and stopped a few feet back to look at the space ahead of them.

"How are you feeling?" The Mandalorian asked. He remained still but the baby turned in his carriage to look at her.

"Alright… neck is a little sore." Diana answered and again she touched the most tender parts. The Mandalorian turned in his seat.

"You should eat something. We'll be at Sorgan soon."

"What is Sorgan?"

"Another planet with not much on it. I think it will be a good place to lay low for a while." He informed. Diana nodded and looked at his shielded face. She moved to sit at the empty chair on her left.

"Although I told you to stay at the cantina, thank you for helping me with the other bounty hunters." He said. Diana raised a brow at him. She did not expect him to thank you.

"You're welcome. Thanks for saving me from the big guy. How did we get away? I don't remember." He turned back around and maneuvered his ship some before answering. Diana watched him do so before turning her attention to the darkness outside the ship.

"Other Mandalorians came to help. The two that you helped in the cantina were there."

"Ah. Did you send those other Mandalorians to me or did they actually need help? If you did, I appreciate the help, but I can find business on my own."

"I told the other Mandalorians there was a medic. They came to you on their own."

Diana stayed silent and brought her knees up to her chest in her seat. Her mind began to wonder some and soon she began to nod off into sleep.

"You can sleep more in my bed. We'll be at Sorgan in a few hours." He offered. He looked at her through his peripheral. He watched her blink a few times and it seemed that she was thinking about whether to take him up on his offer.

"Thanks." She quietly said and gave him a small smile when she stood and moved back to his quarters.

The Mandalorian looked back at the empty chair for a moment longer. He sensed she needed her rest and could tell that she was drained from the past few days. The bruising on her neck was obvious. It was bad. He glanced down at the child and was surprised when he was already staring up at him. With a sigh, he returned to functioning his ship. He could not wait to be back on solid ground.

The next morning, sunlight woke Diana. She squinted her eyes to see past the glare in the bedside window and was surprised when saw an immense amount of tree cover below them. They were landing soon, and this must be Sorgan. She threw the covers off her and joined Mando and the child back at the front of the ship.

"This is Sorgan?"

"Yes."

"Nice to see some nature for a change." Diana said. She peered below them and saw lakes and dense forest as the flew by. She could not help but feel a little excited at a new but more humbling environment. The Mandalorian safely lowered them down into a clearing and began to get ready to head out.

"Where are you going?" Diana asked from her seat.

"To the town."

"So, we're coming with you." She stood. He ignored her but opened the hatch before turning to face her and the child. "If you seriously think I'm staying in this ship when there's greenery and fresh air right out there, you are delusional." With no further hesitation, Diana picked up the child and carried him outside with her, passing the Mandalorian with a breeze as he silently watched her. Once outside, Diana placed the child down and observed the area around them. The Mandalorian sighed, knowing he had no choice but to let her and the child join him, closed the hatch and joined them.

The smell of trees delighted Diana as she followed the Mandalorian to town with the child beside her. Shortly after, they entered a small area lit with teepee-looking establishments. She recognized the one they entered as a restaurant. It was again sparsely populated with a very open interior. The smell of noodles filled Diana's nose as the three of them walked to a table in the corner. She glanced around the establishment, eager to see the food being served but she did not notice the Mandalorian looking at another woman sitting opposite of them.

"Welcome travelers, can I interest you in anything?" A woman asked once she approached their table.

"Bone broth for the little one."

"Oh well you in luck. I just took that down a grinjer, so there's plenty. Can I interest you in a porringer of broth as well?"

"I will take one, please." Diana added.

"No, thank you." Mando said to the woman. Before the woman could leave, Mando cut in, "That one over there. When did she arrive?" He nodded to a dark-haired woman sitting at the table across from them. Diana turned to look and gathered her appearance. She was a bigger woman with some metal armor and tattoos. She looked like a fighter and not one Diana wanted to cross.

"I've seen her here for the last week or so." The woman stammered to answer. She looked to the Mandalorian with a scrunched face at his question.

"What's her business here?"

"Business?" She laughed. "There's not much business in Sorgan, so I can't say." Diana watched the Mandalorian with confusion as he tossed her a small bag of coins. She wanted to ask why he was being so nosy about her, but she decided to wait until the woman left.

"Well, she doesn't strike me as a log runner." The woman chuckled as she picked up the coins. "Thank you sire. I will get that bone broth to you as soon as possible and I will throw in a flagon of spotchka just for good measure." She finished enthusiastically and left.

"What was that all about?" Diana asked him. She glanced to the woman he was talking about, but she was gone. He suddenly stood and told Diana to watch the child. She stared at him wide-eyed as he left the restaurant. She closed her slack jaw and turned to the child. The child could clearly see how frustrated she was.

"I don't understand him, little one." Diana murmured to the kid and shook her head.

It was not long until their bone broth was served to them. Diana took the spotchka for herself as well and relished in the warm soup. It immediately comforted her as it hit her mouth and fell into her empty stomach. It was one of the more familiar dishes she had since being away from Earth, so it did not take too long for her to finish it. The child on the other hand still had some of his steaming bone broth. Once done, she silently watched the child slurp his soup and after some time, she could not stand waiting around for the Mandalorian anymore.

"Follow me, little one." She said to the child and together they left the restaurant. It was quiet outside and Diana began to circle around the restaurant. As they circled around the back, she heard scuffling of feet accompanied by some grunts.

She stopped at the sight of the Mandalorian and the woman falling from the roof and onto the ground just some feet in front of her and the child. She watched them wrestle some more before pointing their blasters at each other. Beside her, the child slurped his soup. The Mandalorian and the woman slowly turned their heads to them.

"What they hell are you guys doing?" Diana asked with one brow raised. She cocked her hips and placed a hand on each one. She felt like a parent scolding her children for roughhousing. The Mandalorian sighed and looked at the woman he was just fighting.

"You want some soup?" He asked her as if it was a truce.

The four of them returned to their table and ordered more spotchka. Diana sat in between the woman and the Mandalorian. She was confused and annoyed - did he always fight random woman and then invite them to his table? The woman – Carasynthia Dune – was a former rebel shock trooper for the rebels from Alderaan. While Diana was beginning to become tiresome of the woman's stories – primarily of the civil war, she gathered some information that would be useful to her about the history of where she was.

"I hope you didn't do that to her neck." She said with a nod to Diana's bruising. Dark purple and green marks tainted her otherwise perfect skin, it did not help they were in the exact shape of fingers.

"No, another bounty hunter." He quickly answered.

"Look," Cara began. She glanced to both the Mandalorian and Diana. "I knew you were Guild. That's why I came at you so hard."

"Yeah, that's what I figured."

"Well, this has been a treat. Hope I didn't ruin your bone broth and spotchka dinner together." She said as she stood. "But one of us is going to have to move on, and I was here first." She finished her drink and walked away. Diana cocked her head and watched Cara leave.

"Well, looks like this planet's taken." He said to Diana and the child.

"What was all that?" She asked. She whipped her head to look at him.

"What?"

"Do you always just fight someone you see at a restaurant?"

"I could tell she was a shock trooper. She could have been a threat." Diana made a mocking sound that she understood. She finished her drink and watched the child as he slurped up the last of his soup.

"I'm heading back." She stated. He turned to her and slowly nodded his head, not realizing she wasn't asking a question – she was telling him. Diana stood and picked up the child and immediately turned on her heel to leave. The Mandalorian still sat in her seat. He was not used to having someone accompanying him, let alone that person being a woman.

By the time they reached his ship, it was already dark. The woods carried an eerie sound to them, and Diana was happy that she was not doing this alone.

"So, are we going to just stay here for a while? Or is that not the plan anymore." Diana asked the Mandalorian. They sat outside of his ship. He was fixing up certain parts while Diana lay on the floor of the open hatch. The child sat on the ground between them.

"We'll stay for a little. Cara wanted us to leave. I can probably find another planet like this."

"I can tell this planet is small with not many people. I'm not sure if I can find much work here." She added.

"It'll be temporary."

Diana let her head fall back onto the metal and she looked at the exposed stars above her. Here she was, on a new and completely foreign planet, with nothing to her name, in the care of a Mandalorian. She let out a deep sigh.

"You okay?" Mando asked. He separated himself from the piece of metal he was working on to glance at her.

"Yes… just thinking."

"About what?" Diana was surprised he asked. She did not expect him to take any interest in her thoughts or emotions.

"I don't know. I guess just what I am doing. Or what I am not doing. Honestly, I'm just still pretty lost. I don't even know your name. Do you Mandalorians have one?"

He continued to watch her but stepped back from his ship. He suddenly felt bad for not telling her his name considering the amount of time they have spent together.

"You'll get to where you need to be. Whether that's here or back on Earth and we do have names. My name is Din Djarin."

Diana turned to face him, realizing that she just now learned his name. She felt that was a step in the right direction regarding their relationship. Before, he was a stranger with no name and no face, but now at least she could call him by his first name. She wondered what Din Djarin looked like under his new armor.

"Nice to meet you, Din." Diana honestly greeted before turning back to look at the stars. She paused a few moments before continuing to open up.

"I just don't know whether to keep trying or if I should… settle down here. If returning to Earth is not possible, I can find a life somewhat similar to what I wanted before."

"What kind of life is that?" He asked as he continued his work on the metal. Although he was keeping himself busy, he took every word Diana said seriously. A nervous laugh came from her as she tried to find the words to answer.

"I don't know, the cliché have a family, live somewhere nice, travel. It seems far-fetched now. I am adjusting to life here though. Sometimes it feels like I'm in a video game with some of the shit that goes on." Din paused at her mention of having a family. It was something he wanted as well, but not for a very long time.

"How old are you?" He asked as he returned to connecting a few wires beneath the plate of the metal. She grew silent at his question and stared blankly at the stars and began to feel heated emotion rising to her cheeks.

"30… in a few days." She answered quietly. Her eyes began to well with tears and a single drop fell from her right eye. She tried to not give much thought to it. This was not at all how she imagined her thirtieth birthday to be. She thought she would be vacationing somewhere with her friends and possibly with the man she had just started seeing when she left Earth. The Mandalorian stopped what he was doing. He was not good at handling other people's emotions nor their problems, but Diana struck a chord in him.

"What do you usually do for birthdays on Earth?"

"Parties, dinners… something nice." She trailed off. Diana wiped the tear from eye and tried to flush out any other sad emotions. She could not cry. Especially now, not in front of the Mandalorian.

She heard the clanging of metals and assumed he had continued his work. They were silent the rest of the evening. It was not until much later that the Mandalorian finished his work. He nearly forgot that Diana was still laying on the exposed hatch door with the child asleep at her feet.

He approached her and found her sleeping as well. He did not have much space for others to sleep in his ship. There was one pull out area that can sleep one person but instead of putting Diana to rest there, he gently carried her into his own quarters. He removed her shoes before pulling his sheets over her body. The bruises on her neck seemed to glow and stare at him. He did not like that she was so injured – nearly killed from helping him. He did not know it himself just yet, but he would soon feel the obligation to be a protector for Diana – and eventually more.


End file.
